# Independance Day is FAN-TASTIC! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828 "2005-08-27T02:11:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/1 "2005-08-27T02:11:01Z")
So I’m watching ID4 (that’s right!) on Bravo and my favorite scene just came on. Randy Quaid starts describing to Adam Baldwin and some other soldier guy about how he was kidnapped by aliens and now he’s looking for some payback. He says all this as they are preparing an attack against the alien mothership. After the aliens have blown up dozens of US cities. After Adam Baldwin personally shot an alien in the head. After he says this they look at him like he’s COMPLETELY FUCKING INSANE. It’s priceless. And now it’s the President’s speech. Excuse me, I think I have something in my eye… ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/2 "2005-08-27T02:20:30Z")
Well, you know what aliens do to people they kidnap, right? Stick stuff up their butts. And what did Quad’s character do to the mothership? Pretty much the same thing. This movie has some big flaws, but I found it extremely entertaining. Fun stuff. And let’s not even get into how ridiculously difficult it would be to get into an alien computer, and write a virus to disable an alien computer, and specifically one particular function of the alien computer system. \ La la la la la ! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/3 "2005-08-27T03:00:34Z")
The saddest thing about Independance Day is that Arthur C Clarke of all people ripped off the virus thingy for the ending of 3001. It was pretty lame there, too. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/4 "2005-08-27T03:34:25Z")
Stuff blows up. We kick the aliens’ ass (eventually). Works for me (except the first 45 minutes when nothing happens). ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/5 "2005-08-27T03:35:54Z")
I like it. It’s a fun movie to watch **and** to nitpick. ---
**Author:** ![fruitbat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@fruitbat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fruitbat)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/6 "2005-08-27T03:36:33Z")
I wouldn’t call ID a good movie precisely. Why is it then that I watch it every time it is on. Tonight it was on cable and I had to will my finger not to click the button. I think they found a way to transmit a hit of crack through the television screen. My favorite moment is the dog escaping from the massive fireball. In a movie that does OK with effects showing city sized space ships, the dog is clearly cut and pasted into a background with cars exploding and people running around willy nilly. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/7 "2005-08-27T03:39:35Z")
> [@fruitbat](#): > > I wouldn’t call ID a good movie precisely. I wouldn’t call it a good movie _at all_. I just didn’t like it. I remember how excited I was the first time I saw the first part of the trailer. I thought, ‘Omygod! They’ve made _Childhood’s End!_’ No such luck. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/8 "2005-08-27T04:00:15Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > The saddest thing about Independance Day is that Arthur C Clarke of all people ripped off the virus thingy for the ending of 3001. It was pretty lame there, too. Whoh there, Silver. The “virus thingy” in _Independence Day_ was a direct rip of the ending of _War of the Worlds_, only with a bunch of extra explosions thrown in. Indeed, there wasn’t one single, sincere moment in the whole film. Except, perhaps, for Brent Spiner’s mad scientist, though I’m willing to debate that the character was at least partially inspired by Peter Sellers. At any rate, it was a worthy, if tangetial, few scenes. Color me unimpressed with _ID4_; the plot, the dialog, the characters, and even many scenes are ripped straight from other, better films, and the SFX varied between mediocre and laughable. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![kingpengvin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9dc877/32.png) [@kingpengvin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kingpengvin)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/9 "2005-08-27T04:17:16Z")
Is there anyone outside of the US who actually liked this turd of a film?? I’m sorry I had bleeding sockets from the amount of times my eyeballs rolled in my head watching this dreck. I mean I can understand my American Cousins liking the USA… USA… USA… feel of the film but Christ I want my money back and kick myself everytime I think about how I didn’t demand my cash back on this turkey! I mean it was daylight across the entire fucking globe at the same time!!! What if it is daytime in the US it’s daytime the world over?!?! Fuck it! ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/10 "2005-08-27T04:32:04Z")
And not only is it daylight, the rest of the world was just sitting on their asses waiting for the 'merkins to figure it out. No alternate plans, just oh, okay, they say to do this, let’s do that! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/11 "2005-08-27T04:41:41Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > I mean it was daylight across the entire fucking globe at the same time!!! What if it is daytime in the US it’s daytime the world over?!?! Fuck it! You’re thinking too hard! Pull up! Pull up! ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/12 "2005-08-27T04:56:21Z")
The sad thing about Independence Day is that it diverted attention from The Arrival, a much better (and vaguely similar) film that was released about a month earlier. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you do so. ---
**Author:** ![Kiros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/439d5e/32.png) [@Kiros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiros)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/13 "2005-08-27T04:59:17Z")
Independence Day HAS to win the prize for “movie that you are most likely to find while flipping through first-tier cable stations this summer”. I’ve watched parts of it while flipping about no less than four times in the past two months, including (for the sheer novelty of it) a fairly badly dubbed Spanish version. I’ve also see it while searching through [tvguide.com](http://tvguide.com) another dozen times, easily. All of that said, it’s one of the most rewatchable movies from the '90s, so at least it’s not a bad choice for ridiculous and inexplicable overexposure. Like others have said, it’s not a particularly great movie per se, but as long as you’re willing to turn your brain off, it’s quite entertaining. It has some good moments, with Pullman’s speech first and foremost. Bonus points for killing most of the people who should logically die instead of finding sappy ways to keep them alive (2005 War of the Worlds - I’m looking at you here). If I were writing a review, I’d end it with something like: “Greater than the sum of its flawed parts. And that’s a good thing, I think.” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/14 "2005-08-27T06:33:19Z")
> [@kingpengvin](#): > > I mean I can understand my American Cousins liking the USA… USA… USA… feel of the film No, I just like the purdy explosions. 😃 The movie has plot holes you can fly a Mothership through, but dang if it didn’t look good in the process. Almost makes you forget that there’s no way on hell you can teach a civilian pilot to fly a fighter jet in a few hours… ---
**Author:** ![Queen\_Tonya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/4491bb/32.png) [@Queen\_Tonya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queen_Tonya)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/15 "2005-08-27T07:24:54Z")
Even better than the civilian-fighter jet issues, how the hell did Will Smith pilot the alien ship? They were like squid looking suckers with a million tentacles, why would the seats and controls be at all ergonomically viable for a human? Oh, wait, at first he bumped into the wall, so that makes it all better. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/16 "2005-08-27T07:31:16Z")
> [@Dewey Finn](#): > > The sad thing about Independence Day is that it diverted attention from The Arrival, a much better (and vaguely similar) film that was released about a month earlier. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend you do so. I have, and you’re right. Not only does it outdistance _Independence Day_ by light years, it’s good too. I think that makes clear my opinion on _Independence Day_. The single most overrated movie in movie history. How anyone can sit through the president’s speech without cringing in sympathetic embarrassment (and how Bill Pullman managed to actually say it and sound sincere) is a mystery. It doesn’t even work very well on a “really stupid movie that’s fun to watch” level. The list of dumb movies that are heaps better is as long as a schoolday at the beginning of summer. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/17 "2005-08-27T07:37:16Z")
[The Movie Cliches List](http://www.moviecliches.com/cliche2.html#id4) has an entire section devodted to ID4. It’s the only movie that gets a listing all by its own. I enjoyed it, BTW. For mindless explosions and stupid action. The prez’ speach was cringeworthy beyond normal though. To think it was made by a [German guy](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000386/). ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/18 "2005-08-27T07:38:35Z")
My solution to watching what would normally be brain-numbingly stupid movies is just to pretend that the setting is in an alternate universe. Obviously, in _this_ universe, it is moronic that an alien civilization’s mothership’s computer could be interfaced with a Mac OS, and thereby be susceptible to a Mac virus. It is silly to think that civilians can be trained to fly F/A-18s in a matter of hours. It is even sillier to think that the entire U.S. Air Force is composed of F/A-18s and a couple B-2 Spirit bombers. But ya know, in an alternate universe…it could happen. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/19 "2005-08-27T07:58:01Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Almost makes you forget that there’s no way on hell you can teach a civilian pilot to fly a fighter jet in a few hours… Well, unless you’ve just spent a couple of hours in the Psychlo learning machine, and you have access to a flight simulator that’s sat untouched for a thousand years, that is. > [@Priceguy](#): > > The single most overrated movie in movie history. Cue _Forrest Gump_ hijack. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2005, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828/20 "2005-08-27T09:36:13Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Cue _Forrest Gump_ hijack. Them’s fighting words. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/independance-day-is-fan-tastic/318828.md?page=2)